Ochas

Back in April, I reviewed the “Rope, Rubber, and Rudders” exhibit at Minnow Arts in Downtown Santa Cruz. Despite being a small venue, Minnow Arts impressed me as an ideal space for local and regional artists to share their latest creative offerings. This month, another local artist, Tessa Hope Hasty, presented her own body of work, Ochas, at the intimate, yet impactful setting.

Hasty’s work, which includes mercurial depictions of coastal and forest settings, are a delight to behold, transporting viewers into stylized scenes full of vibrant color and whimsical charm.

The Ochas exhibit is an ode to what Hasty calls, “fem-energy”, and a deeply personal twist on “ochos”, the Spanish word for eights. The presentation is a collection that exemplifies her range, complete with sewn screen prints framed by Alibi Interiors, as well as paintings done on alternative wooden substrates. Most of the repurposed wood featured in the show consists of pieces she had found on the beach and while scavenging at the dump with her dad, Allen.

Hasty describes herself as “a coastal and mountain artist, with roots going back three generations in Santa Cruz and Yosemite.” While being raised in a creative home by her artistic parents, she developed a knack for expressing herself in a creative and hands-on manner. As an adult, she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Pictorial Studies from San Jose State University in 2007, with a double minor in Business and Art History.

In addition to being a painter, muralist, screen printer, and wood worker, she’s co-founder and designer for Feral Lux, a lifestyle apparel company. In her globe trotting experience as a surfer, hiker, and backpacker, she’s accumulated detailed sketches and notes which have heavily influenced her work, along with ongoing mentorships and one-on-one apprenticeships with a variety of prolific artists, such as Steve Valiere, Jeni Prince, and Thomas Campbell. Her elemental paintings directly reflect her environment and she considers herself blessed to live and create on an lavender farm in Bonny Doon.

One of Hasty’s favorite pieces from the Ochas exhibit is “Poppy Pattern”, which is comprised of simplistic repeating interpretations of 12 California Poppies. Here, she describes her process, inspiration, and overall experience creating this unique piece of artwork for the Ochas exhibit.

“‘Poppy Pattern’ is a salute to women, girls and fem-essence. My interpretation of the California Poppy is the subject. The style is simple, curvy, bold, gorgeous. The feelings I wanted to evoke were warmth, solidarity, and balance. I accomplished this with a pattern of 12 poppies using warm colors: hot pink, black, brown, orange, red, magenta, with gold partially overlaying each.”

“The media in use were three colored screen prints on manilla paper. The tools in use were a paper cutter, scissors, and my mom Suzy’s Bernina sewing machine that I’ve used since I was a wee one. 

I started my process by cutting small paper squares from manila folders. Then I screen printed three layers of ink onto the squares to create the poppies. After the ink dried, I curved the edges of the paper with scissors. Then I cut fresh paper into slightly bigger  squares. When that was done, I ordered and picked up frames from Alibi Interiors. I sewed each poppy onto the larger squares along the cubed edges. After that, I sewed all twelve squares together and placed the pattern into the frame. Then I mounted it on the wall at Minnow Arts alongside other framed sewn pieces.”

“One of the tunes I listened to while creating this piece was Aretha Franklin’s ‘I Say a Little Prayer.’ I chose this as a theme song because it’s a warm, spirited, feminine song that compliments my own vibe and the pattern perfectly. 

The most enjoyable part was printing the first poppy because originally, I didn’t plan on printing poppies, so it came as a surprise when my hands rotated the paper on its side and I saw a four petaled poppy.”

“I am completely happy with how the pattern turned out because the whole process felt affirming and actually mystical somehow. The finished piece tied my entire endeavor of various expressions all together. It’s symbolic of diversity, balance, and the feminine within a specific place— here, in California, with our state flower. It’s also been so satisfying to watch the pattern pull the viewer in for closer looks at Minnow Arts.” 

To see Poppy Pattern and more of Hasty’s excellent work, be sure to check out the Ochas exhibit at Minnow Arts.

You can also follow her on Instagram @tessahopehasty